Tool box with a logo plate thereon

ABSTRACT

A tool box includes a molded box body and a logo plate mounted securely within a recess formed in an outer face of the molded box body through a shrink-fit process. The recess is confined by a recess-defining wall that has a bottom wall portion and a peripheral wall portion extending from the bottom wall portion to the outer face. The logo plate is retained securely by the peripheral wall portion. The logo plate is fitted into the recess while the molded box body, which is formed through a hot molding process, is still in a hot softened state.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a tool box, more particularly toa tool box with a logo plate thereon.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional tool box is shown to includea molded box body 1 with a logo 1012 formed on an outer face 1011 of thebox body 1.

[0005] Drawbacks associated with forming the logo 1012 on the box body 1are as follows:

[0006] (1) In case a plurality of inserts corresponding to characters ofthe logo 1012 are used to form the logo 1012 on the box body 1 duringmolding of the tool box, relatively high precision is required to mountthe inserts in the mold prior to molding, which is laborious.

[0007] (2) In case a printing technique is employed to form the logo1012 on the molded box body 1, the molded box body 1 must undergo aflame treating process to oxidate the outer face 1011 of the molded boxbody 1 so as to permit firm adhesion of printing ink to the outer face1011 of the molded box body 1. In addition, the color of the ink willfade after a period of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a tool box thathas a logo plate thereon. The logo plate can be mounted on the tool boxin such a manner as to avoid occurrence of the aforesaid drawbacksduring manufacture of the conventional tool box.

[0009] Accordingly, a tool box of the present invention includes amolded box body having an outer face formed with a plate-receivingrecess that is confined by a recess-defining wall which has a bottomwall portion and a peripheral wall portion extending from the bottomwall portion to the outer face. A logo plate is mounted securely withinthe plate-receiving recess through a shrink-fit process such that thelogo plate abuts against and is retained by the peripheral wall portionof the recess-defining wall so as to be prevented removal from theplate-receiving recess. The logo plate is fitted into theplate-receiving recess while the molded box body, which is formedthrough a hot molding process, is still in a hot softened state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Other features and advantages of this invention will become moreapparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments of this invention, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

[0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional tool box;

[0012]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment ofa tool box according to the present invention;

[0013]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment,with a logo plate removed therefrom;

[0014]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the first preferredembodiment in a hot softened state;

[0015]FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the first preferredembodiment in a post-shrinkage state;

[0016]FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the second preferredembodiment of a tool box according to the present invention in apost-shrinkage state; and

[0017]FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the third preferredembodiment of a tool box according to the present invention in apost-shrinkage state;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the first preferred embodiment of atool box according to the present invention is shown to include a moldedbox body 10 and a logo plate 20.

[0019] As illustrated, the molded box body 10 includes pivotallyconnected upper and lower box halves 11, 12. The upper box half 11 hasan outer face formed with a plate-receiving recess 13 confined by arecess-defining wall 13W that has a bottom wall portion 131 and aperipheral wall portion 132 extending from the bottom wall portion 131to the outer face of the upper box half 11.

[0020] The logo plate 20 has an upper face 21 formed with a logo 24, alower face 22 opposite to the upper face 21, and a peripheral side face23 interconnecting the upper and lower faces 21, 22. The logo plate 20is mounted securely within the plate-receiving recess 13 in the upperbox half 11 through a shrink-fit process such that the logo plate 20abuts against and is retained securely by the peripheral wall portion132 of the recess-defining wall 13W, thereby preventing removal the logoplate 20 from the plate-receiving recess 13. Preferably, the peripheralwall portion 132 of the recess-defining wall 13W in the upper box half11 gradually converges from the bottom wall portion 131 toward a topedge 130 of the peripheral wall portion 132. During manufacture of thetool box of the present invention, the molded box body 10 is formed byusing a hot molding process and the logo plate 20 is fitted into theplate-receiving recess 13 in the upper box half 11 while the molded boxbody 10 is still in a hot softened state, as shown in FIG. 4. When thehot softened box body 10 is cooled and shrinks, as best shown in FIG. 5,the peripheral side face 23 of the logo plate 20 will abut against theperipheral wall portion 132 of the plate-receiving recess 13 in theupper box half 11, thereby retaining the logo plate 20 in theplate-receiving recess 13.

[0021] Since the logo plate 20 is securely retained in theplate-receiving recess 13 in the upper box half 11 of the molded boxbody 10 through shrink fit, the drawbacks as encountered duringmanufacture of the aforesaid conventional tool box can be eliminated.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 6, the second preferred embodiment of a toolbox of the present invention is shown to have a construction similar tothat of the first preferred embodiment. The main difference resides inthat the peripheral side face 41 of the logo plate 40 whichinterconnects the upper and lower faces 42,43 and which conforms to theshape of the recess-defining wall 33W of the plate-receiving recess 33in the upper box half 31 of the molded box body 30.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 7, the third preferred embodiment of a tool boxof the present invention is shown to have a construction similar to thatof the first preferred embodiment. The main difference resides in that agroove 612 is formed in the recess-defining wall 63W of theplate-receiving recess 63 in the molded box body 60. The logo plate 70has a peripheral edge portion 72 that is fitted in the groove 612.

[0024] While the present invention has been described in connection withwhat is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it isunderstood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements includedwithin the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

I claim:
 1. A tool box including a molded box body having an outer faceformed with a plate-receiving recess that is confined by arecess-defining wall which has a bottom wall portion and a peripheralwall portion extending from said bottom wall portion to said outer face,and a logo plate mounted securely within said plate-receiving recessthrough a shrink-fit process such that said logo plate abuts against andis retained securely by said peripheral wall portion of saidrecess-defining wall, thereby preventing removal of said logo plate fromsaid plate-receiving recess, said logo plate being fitted into saidplate-receiving recess while said molded box body, which is formedthrough a hot molding process, is still in a hot softened state.
 2. Thetool box as defined in claim 1, wherein said peripheral wall portion ofsaid recess-defining wall has a top edge opposite to said bottom wallportion of said box body, and gradually converges from said bottom wallportion toward said top edge, said logo plate having an upper face, alower face opposite to said upper face, and a peripheral side face thatinterconnects said upper and lower faces, that conforms to shape of saidrecess-defining wall, and that abuts against said recess-defining wall.